Commuter challenge

Commuter Challenge: Twice as good as last year

By Afshan Mahmood

The challenge is over and the results are in. After a week of healthy commuting, the University of Calgary made the top 10 of large local companies in Canada’s Commuter Challenge, with 212 faculty and staff leaving their cars at home. That more than doubles the university’s participation of 98 people last year.

Together, these commuters saved nearly 14,000 tonnes of emissions from entering the atmosphere and made the campus a little bit greener.

Conoco Phillips Canada is the local winner with 60.5 percent participation in the over-1,000-employee category. Nationally, by leaving cars at home, Canadians kept 266,383 kg of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere. For full results go to www.commuterchallenge.ca.

Prizes were awarded daily to randomly selected registrants at U of C, as well as to commuters who had notable achievements.